The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Saturday the release of a member of The Bahamas Embassy’s locally employed personnel in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, who had been kept hostage for several weeks.
“According to sources, the release occurred late [Friday] afternoon and was relayed to Chargè Commander Godfrey Rolle, who then informed the ministry,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and family in their endurance throughout this ordeal.”
The release came three weeks after the ministry reported that it had received a communication from The Bahamas Embassy advising of the apparent kidnapping of the staff member.
The employee is a Haitian woman, The Nassau Guardian learned.
According to information received from the family of the long-time employee at the embassy, the incident took place around 6 a.m. on September 1 in the employee’s neighborhood, the ministry had reported.
At the time, Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell said no one will be forced to stay deployed in Haiti, a point he repeated recently.
Last week, he said, “The voluntary order which allows those who feel unsafe to withdraw is still in place.
“The international airport, however, is closed. All staff continue to work from home. The embassy’s premises are under security watch and safe. All personnel are safe when last advised yesterday (September 18). I can make no comments on the alleged abductions.”
In recent months, economic and social challenges have worsened in Haiti, which has witnessed various atrocities at the hands of street gangs.
In July, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner said it was deeply concerned by the worsening of violence in Port-au-Prince and the rise in human rights abuses committed by heavily armed gangs against the local population.
The UN urged authorities to ensure that all human rights are protected and placed at the front and center of their responses to the crisis.
From January to the end of June, the office documented 934 killings, 684 injuries and 680 kidnappings across the capital.
Over a five-day period, from July 8-12, at least 234 more people were killed or injured in gang-related violence in the Cité Soleil area of the city.
Most of the victims were not directly involved in gangs and were directly targeted by gang elements, according to the office, adding that it had received new reports of sexual violence.
In recent days, both the UN and the Caribbean Community have both expressed grave concerns over the continuing deterioration of the security situation and the social circumstances in Haiti.
